Sanctuary

I just wanted to let you know how terribly disappointed we are about the closing of Cardinal Gibbons School. This institution stands for so much. History, education, loyalty, brotherhood, respect, dedication, camaraderie and faith to only name a few. The faculty, staff and students all demonstrate these qualities to their fullest not only to each other but to the entire community. Teachers are more than teachers. They are friends, mentors and leaders who are admired and appreciated for the tireless hours they put in without hesitation.

We applaud the National Aquarium in Baltimore for considering closing its dolphin exhibition and moving its eight dolphins to a seaside sanctuary to live out the rest of their lives ( "National Aquarium asks for feedback on dolphins, future plans," May 17). Over the past several decades we have learned that dolphins can swim up to a hundred miles a day and live in family-based pods. Prioritizing the quality of life of these complex creatures is forward-looking and in line with the National Aquarium's focus on conservation.

As I read about other states cracking down on illegal aliens in their state I see illegals on the move to avoid the consequences of their illegal acts. I bet the advocates for illegals are directing them to sanctuary states like Maryland. And with the recent studies being done to show how these poor people aren't getting the health care someone thinks they should get, you can almost hear the money from all the new taxes, for jobs and transportation needs, being directed at this growing crisis.

The National Aquarium announced Wednesday that it is considering no longer having dolphins on exhibit, putting the popular Inner Harbor attraction at the forefront of a debate over whether keeping the animals in captivity is cruel. The aquarium is considering moving the eight mammals from the Dolphin Discovery amphitheater to an ocean-side sanctuary at an undetermined location. It has hired a team of consultants to examine the issue as part of a broader strategic assessment to ensure a "healthy future for the nonprofit institution and its animals.

When Paige Finley, a research specialist at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine, moved into her rowhouse in the Medfield neighborhood in 2005, her backyard contained one shrub and her front was bare. But Finley had a vision for what she wanted. "I knew in my head I wanted it to be a little sanctuary," she says. So she set to work. "I made some drawings, and then I just made some spray paint and drew lines where I wanted the flower beds to be, and I started digging.

The article concerning the sale of a previously set aside sanctuary on the Eastern shore ("Shore wildlife sanctuary sold," Baltimoresun.com, July 16) is disturbing to me and should be to all Marylanders. Bob Pascal, who got very wealthy once he left office as county executive of Anne Arundel County, has purchased the 950 acre estate in Talbot County for $8.5 million. A steal for that amount of property with waterfront, even in today's market. The property once owned by the philanthropic du Pont family & donated to the National Audubon Society.

One of the most horrific episodes of the Vietnam war was the plight of those South Vietnamese who were loyal to the United States throughout the war. Known as the "boat people," they desperately, and often fatally, tried to escape Communist retaliation after the fall of Saigon. With the imminent American withdrawal from Afghanistan and the total ineptitude of the central government, it is extremely likely that the Taliban will eventually regain control of the country and will reimpose their strict version of Islam ( "Karzai's blame game," Feb. 2)

In a deal some say could be a model for government land preservation in lean budget times, a wealthy businessman and former Anne Arundel County politician has agreed to give up development rights -- and grant limited but free public access -- to a 950-acre former wildlife sanctuary on the Eastern Shore that he bought 18 months ago. Robert A. Pascal, a former county executive and state senator, has offered to donate a permanent conservation easement...

Not since the Vietnam War have medical services been provided aboard the Sanctuary, an old Navy hospital ship rusting away on the Fairfield waterfront in South Baltimore.That could change with two new uses of the ship proposed yesterday by the Maryland Army National Guard.During a planning meeting aboard the ship, Guard officers said they wanted to turn parts of the vessel into "Operation Sanctuary," a free community clinic for the needy that would be run by military personnel one or two weekends a month year-round.

One of the most horrific episodes of the Vietnam war was the plight of those South Vietnamese who were loyal to the United States throughout the war. Known as the "boat people," they desperately, and often fatally, tried to escape Communist retaliation after the fall of Saigon. With the imminent American withdrawal from Afghanistan and the total ineptitude of the central government, it is extremely likely that the Taliban will eventually regain control of the country and will reimpose their strict version of Islam ( "Karzai's blame game," Feb. 2)

Just beyond their green pasture, something special has the attention of horses Vogue, Pagan and Brisk and their pony buddy Lotto. Workmen are putting the finishing touches on an array of solar panels, so that on this steamy summer day, Burleigh Manor Animal Sanctuary and Eco-Retreat goes off the grid. The electric meter has indeed stopped spinning, but that is likely the only thing that has ceased activity there since summer 2012, when the 10.5-acre Ellicott City property cemented its status as a nonprofit with a mission of providing care, a safe haven and a home for unwanted, neglected and abused livestock.

Inside Arnolia United Methodist Church, located at Joppa and Oakleigh roads, is an exact replica of the building complete with the steeple and cross which rises high over the church, dozens of windows, six porches with steps and even the corrals for the trash cans in the rear. The church building was built in stages with the sanctuary, the final section completed in1968 but the replica was constructed this year. It all started when church member Mike Pfeifer helped to build a train garden at the Jacksonville Senior Center in Baltimore County.

Two upcoming events — both of them outside Carroll County — will benefit the Finksburg-based Misfits Animal Sanctuary. Misfits works to provide a sanctuary for abused and neglected animals, finding homes through adoption and connecting people to animals through educational programs. On Sept. 15, the Timber Ridge Pet Resort, at 17110 Ridge Road, Upperco, will host a Responsible Pet Ownership Day on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pets and owners are invited, and activities will include agility trials, a pet parade of rescued animals and a Halloween pet costume contest.

Frisky's Wildlife and Primate Sanctuary, in Woodstock, relies on the kindness of strangers. Strangers bring injured and abandoned animals to the 4-acre site, where they are sheltered and nursed to health. And strangers volunteer at the nonprofit organization, which has no paid staff. Heather Wandell has been volunteering at Frisky's since her son, now 22, spent a summer volunteering there before his sophomore year at Mt. Hebron High School. He moved on to other interests, but Wandell was hooked.

When Paige Finley, a research specialist at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine, moved into her rowhouse in the Medfield neighborhood in 2005, her backyard contained one shrub and her front was bare. But Finley had a vision for what she wanted. "I knew in my head I wanted it to be a little sanctuary," she says. So she set to work. "I made some drawings, and then I just made some spray paint and drew lines where I wanted the flower beds to be, and I started digging.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Dr. Stephen B. Turner built a profitable business here by providing low-cost "immigrant medical exams," including immunizations and blood tests, to hundreds of newcomers to America. Many of his clients did not speak English, but they paid in cash, spending a total of nearly $250,000 at Turner's practice from 2003 to 2005. It was only later, after a tip from a suspicious client, that the San Francisco police and the district attorney's office learned the truth: Turner had been throwing out his clients' blood samples and injecting them with "inoculations" of saline.

FAITH AND dedication are building blocks of a church -- but when a congregation outgrows its space, it can also become a matter of money, bricks and construction delays.The 26-year-old Anchor Baptist Church on West Pasadena Road in Millersville has come through such a test. The proof: its new octagonal sanctuary."A lot of thought was put into the design," says the Rev. Andy Counterman, Anchor's religious leader for nearly seven years -- a period that also saw building of a fellowship hall.

American embassy officials in Beijing didn't exactly throw out the welcome mat when one of China's leading human rights activists showed up on their doorstep last week seeking refuge. But having allowed him inside and sheltered him for several days while they negotiated his fate with Chinese authorities, the U.S. made itself responsible for his safety, and it must honor that commitment even though he is no longer under the embassy's protection. Chen Guangcheng, a blind, self-taught lawyer and fierce critic of China's forced-abortion policy, told officials he had traveled 400 miles to Beijing after escaping de facto house arrest in a provincial town.

Common sense about the nation's immigration policy vanishes from the room whenever someone asks, "What part of illegal don't you understand?" It's a real conversation killer, that line. People who use it aren't interested in a discussion. They think law enforcement agencies should round up the estimated 11.5 million men, women and children who aren't authorized to live in the U.S. and deport them. People fixated on the notion of illegality - the crossing of a border without papers - aren't interested in knowing why these immigrants might have come here, what hardships they experienced.